Australian expatriate Emma Hawkins who now lives in Putney is taking on the challenge of a lifetime as she prepares for a seven day, 200km, Dog Sledding expedition in the Arctic.

From the sun-kissed shores of Australia, to the freezing temperatures of the Arctic, Emma, 29, will be donning her thermals and snow suit and commanding a team of Husky dogs through the stunning landscapes Norway to raise money for the charity, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

Raised on a farm in rural Australia, Emma has always had an affinity with animals, especially dogs. “Animals are a necessity when you are on the land, we had dogs to help us muster the cattle and sheep and had cats to catch mice and rabbits in the hay shed. Without the assistance of such loyal animals life on the land would have been much more difficult”. Her appreciation of this unconditional loyalty and service has prompted her to raise money to allow Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to care for animals that find themselves in the unfortunate position of being lost or without a loving owner to care for them.

Emma explained the magnitude of the work that Battersea Dogs and Cats Home perform, “I was amazed to learn that over 8,773 dogs and 2,423 cats were cared for in 2006. That’s an average of 23 dogs and seven cats every day! Since the Home was founded in 1860, they had taken in over three million dogs and cats”.

Emma’s aim is to raise £5,000 before March 2008. “The cost of caring for the animals is extensive, on average it costs £1,000 for each animal that is taken into care at the Home. My target of £5,000 would allow the Home to care for 5 animals”. Previous treks in 2006 and 2007 have raised in excess of £100,000; participants of the trek in 2008 hope to exceed this amount.

 

January 8, 2008